From the moment Rafa Nadal got knocked out last week, this French Open pretty much handed to Roger Federer. Upstart Swede Robin Soderling couldn’t stop him, and neither could one overzealous fan who came on to the court to try and give Federer an FC Barcelona hat midway through the second set.

We’re not huge tennis fans around here (huge tennis boobs are another story), so we welcome any attempts by streakers and nutjobs to liven up Roland Garros. And with one of the hardest-hitting security-on-fan tackles you’ll see, we can’t say this morning that tennis isn’t a contact sport.

Identity of the fan, and video after the jump.

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A few days ago, the WALL STREET JOURNAL ran an article contemplating the virtual impossibility of beating Rafael Nadal at the French Open, and you can understand why. He was chasing his record fifth-straight title at Roland Garros, where he had never lost a match. His career record on clay 150-5. At the French Open, Nadal was pretty much a one-man wrecking crew.

But apparently, Robin Soderling doesn’t read the WALL STREET JOURNAL. Which isn’t that shocking, since he’s Swedish and all. But what the 23rd seed lacks in financial media acumen, he makes up for with a powerful serve, which was far more important today as he beat Nadal in four sets in what the NEW YORK TIMES is calling “one of the biggest upsets in the long history of tennis.”

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If you were tasked to name every male tennis player who won a major tournament in the last three years, the list would likely have gone Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, then you’d start trying to make up Eastern European names in hopes of lucking into a right answer (sorry, but there’s nobody in the WTA named “Dverjevicbliczic“). Like it or not, that’s the scope of public knowledge about modern men’s tennis, and Nadal’s recent ownership of Federer has even pushed that rivalry to the sidelines.

(Good old tennis, where your trophies are also handy kitchenware.)

So when Federer and Nadal met today in the Madrid Open on clay, Nadal’s most dominant surface, it was pretty much assumed that Nadal would roll. Nadal is still hitting his prime, after all, while Federer seems to have been fading as of late. Not so much, however; Federer rolled, 6-4, 6-4. Read more…

There were a few years there where most of the world was convinced that Roger Federer wasn’t even human.  Instead it was pretty much accepted that Federer was a robot from the future sent back in time to win all of our tennis trophies because in the future tennis trophies are used as fuel for cars from the future.  Okay, so maybe I was the only one who thought that was the case, but you have to admit the man was pretty robotic.

Well yesterday my theory came crashing down all around me.  You see, robots can’t cry, yet after losing the Australian Open in five sets to his arch-nemesis Rafael Nadal in a four and a half hour marathon match, Roger couldn’t help but let the disappointment overcome him.  And what else can a man who is not a robot and just lost another grand slam title to Nadal do but cry?

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Tropical Storm Hanna is playing havoc with the US Open schedule today. In an unprecedented move, they had both semifinals going at once, with the Andy Murray vs. Rafael Nadal match moved earlier and to Louis Armstrong Stadium in a bid to beat impending rain storms. It didn’t work, as play was halted for the day in the third set.

It’s a break that Nadal must love, as he is down two sets to none to the surging Brit, although he is up 3-2 in the third. And while Murray is a compelling young player, CBS and the tennis world is hopig for a Nadal rally, as Roger Federer set up his half of a Wimbledon rematch by taking out Novak Djokovic in four sets.

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• His bloodlust not satisfied with a blowout win over Florida Atlantic, EVERY DAY SHOULD BE SATURDAY spots Texas Longhorns defensive coordinator Will Muschamp drawing some blood on his own.

We swear we’ve seen (and heard) this kind of sideline excitement before.

• WITH LEATHER catches Cincinnati’s mascot Bear-ly avoiding a parachuting Cat-astrophe.

• THE SPORTING BLOG shares news that the parents of Tony Stewart are worried that the womanizing NASCAR star’s special little friend might someday “rot off“.

• THE BIG LEAD elects to examine the unfolding political war of words between Gilbert Arenas & Baron Davis.

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Chances are, you don’t have much in common with Rafael Nadal. He’s a handsome, rich & successful tennis superstar, adored by fans all over the world. You, on the other hand, got excited last night because you found an old Hamm’s in the back of your refrigerator. But you can revel in the fact that you likely share at least one thing with the Spanish sensation: you both hate Menudo.

According to the NEW YORK POST, Nadal was getting some practice time in on Friday when Menudo began performing a sound check for their Kids Day concert. Nadal was so distracted and angry that, depending on who you believe, he either went to the sound booth and screamed for them to turn it down or had his manager do it for him.

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The two best tennis players in the world put in a longer shift this weekend than most anyone at Wimbledon, racking five hours’ playing time over eight hours. Skipping between the raindrops and peering through the nigh-darkness (as the match ended after 9 pm local time) could not stop these two behemoths from a mythical battle that ended with Rafael Nadal cradling the silver Championship cup like a treasured teddy bear.

The final score rattles on like the match: 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-7 (8), 9-7. Nadal had Roger Federer pinned numerous times, down two sets to none and down repeatedly in set tiebreaks. However, Federer served up furious blows and Nadal contorted himself to return every crushing chin shot with one of his own.
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